The Reincarnated Prince

Chapter 7: The Black Sheep of the Family

"And Rory..."

"Yes?" I laughed eagerly, hoping for more compliments.

"That girl who gave you the golden pin..." she paused for dramatic effect.

"Is your betrothed."

"M-My betrothed!" I stuttered, suddenly feeling as though the wind had been knocked out of me. My betrothed she said, but I wasn't even seven years old yet. How could I already be engaged? I suddenly felt light headed as the gravity of the situation hit me.

My dizziness was harshly knocked out of me as uncle Cassian laughed loudly at my reaction and slapped my back painfully hard.

"Haha! Don't look so perturbed Rory. It just an engagement." He laughed.

"Owww." I whined as I rubbed my throbbing back, sure that he had probably left a red hand print on my skin.

"Be gentle with him Cassian." My mother chided as she rubbed my back for me.

While I was close to my mother, the first mother I had actually ever had, I took the opportunity to wrap my arms around her neck and rest my head on her shoulder. She smelled lovely, a soothing vanilla sent that I breathed in happily.

"Mother," I spoke into her embroidered vest. "Am I really betrothed to that girl?" My eyes wandered to the to the hall doors where all the nobles had already exited from. I didn't even get a proper look at her. I wish I had known so that I could have properly introduced myself to her. I remembered that she had introduced herself as Aurora Favian, the cute shy girl who gave me a golden pin in the shape of a cloud. I reached down to my jacket label and traced over the pin with my fingers.

"Yes, my Rory." She soothingly combed her delicate fingers through my white hair.

"If the idea displeases you, you need only say the word and Your father and I will cancel the engagement. Isn't that right Alistair?"
My mother glanced over to my father who had shifted in his throne and was now gazing down at us softly. It was probably the most gentle expression I had ever seen on his stone face.

"It is true that we have secured all we needed from the Favian's mines and have sufficiently compensated them for their land. So if the idea of marrying miss Favian troubles you the engagement can be called off. However, I would prefer to keep my word to Lord Favian and go along with the engagement." My father directly looked into my eyes.

"The decision is yours Rory."

I dipped my head further into my mother's shoulder trying to conceal the smile that had appeared on my lips after hearing my dad call me by my nickname.

"Well, it's not that I hate the idea of being betrothed..." I started. "It's just that I don't know anything about her... I mean maybe she doesn't want to be engaged to me... I don't want to be the cause of any unhappiness." I turned to face my dad again. I didn't know if I was seeing things but it looked like he had a slightly proud smile on his face.

My other uncle, Duke Savras spoke up, "There is no need to worry about whether the maiden wishes to marry you or not."

Uncle Savras chuckled slightly as if I had said something amusing. He pushed his glasses up his nose with his finger because his chuckling had shifted them down his nose bridge.

"Of course it is every maidens wish to marry a prince of Azlantean." He said that as if it was common sense.

I thought his thinking was kind of outdated but I wouldn't point that out to him.

"Furthermore, I'm sure miss Aurora would be happy to marry such a beautiful and kind prince." My mother wrapped her arms around me and hugged me even tighter. I blushed sheepishly and turned my head away from her.